Spring is A-Buzzing

Hello lovely lovelies❣ How are you all, in your little corner of the world?? Down here spring is a-buzzing. The flowers are continuing to sashay rythmically to the slow cadence of spring. There is much loveliness to drink in. There is a cheerful jumble of  floraliciousness everywhere. The bees are a-buzzing, too. After what seems like little activity over the winter months all of a sudden these little honey creatures are flitting here, there and everywhere, busily collecting pollen and nectar from the flowers; and I suppose going back to their beehive to do what bees do, making beautiful hexagon-shaped hives, and both making and storing all that lovely honey. Gotta love a hexagon-shaped beehive❣ I am always a happy gal to think that in a small way, our little garden benefits and enhances the biodiversity of the landscape.

These last few weeks the blossom trees have been delighting me, and as the flowers finish and gently fall to the ground in the spring breeze, carpets of petals have formed; so beautiful. The deciduous trees have begun to cover the bare branches with masses of beautifully shaped, green leaves. Of late the garden is gifting me with bunch after bunch of irises, foxgloves, azaleas, granny bonnets.......and still the pretty bluebells abound. Why, one of the joys of my everyday is to pick lovely bunches to bring inside, casting cheeriness to many a corner in our home. Truly, a simple thing such a vase of flowers always sprinkles joy to my day.

I have been enjoying moments playing photographer and stylist, too, as you do.......well.....as I do. =) Delighting in the capturing of happy snaps of the garden; playing with favourite quilts, dotting them here and there among the blossoms. I know, I know; I have way, way too much time. =)

There has been much delight in the stitching and the completion of the piecing of  Lucy's quilt. Triangles have been stitched to the edges and there is now a border of hexies skipping around the polka dot border. In each corner I used leftover hexies from my Spring Blossoms' quilt and stitched them onto a hexie-filled fabric. Now 'tis time to quilt. To keep it simple and because I want to finish this quilt and get back to my flower garden quilt, I am only stitching around each large hexie. As always I am heeding to the KISS philosophy......'Keep it Simple Stupid'......in case you are wondering.  When it comes to hand quilting, it is a philosophy that works perfectly for me, as my quilting stitches are never impeccable. They seem to march across the quilt  in a sometimes rather disorderly manner. Try as I will they just will not behave.

Oh dear, there is a glut of happy snaps, are there not???? But......when spring beauty abounds it would be such a shame if I didn't capture a sense of the explosion of floraliciousness down here. I am always delighted to share with you the beauty of my li'l spring place. The blossoms that dance on the flower stage each week are fleeting and they must, must be recorded.  This is one of the reasons I pen a blog.....to record my life of simplicity, day by day......week by week.......and it seems....year by year. But, for now I am off to enjoy a little hand quilting and think upon happy things. I am going to join others all around the globe who celebrate each Sunday with a little delightful slow hand stitching. 'Tis with a joyful heart I thank you lovelies for your sweet visit. Hoping I have sprinkled a little spring, blossomy loveliness to your day❣

Until the next time...............

Sugar and Spice.....And All Things Nice ❣

 

A lovely hello to you ❣ 'Tis Sunday morning here and I see, somewhat unbeknownst to me, the calender has sneaked over to the month of October. How oh how did this happen???? This year is hurtling along, is it not?? 'Tis early in the morning and I can hear the mellifluous birdsong filling the air and flowers are sprinkling a potpourri of fragrances everywhere. Spring is bustin' out all over. The flowers on the pendulant branches of the blossom trees are slowly unfurling....so very pretty. The magnolias are flowering and the orchid-like, silky petals of the dutch irises are  beginning to burst out from the papery spathes to stand tall. There is a sea of glorious blue hues of forget-me-nots everywhere and the bluebells are swaying in colours of blue, pink and white. Oh, I can see too, it won't be long till the lilacs explode into their purple gorgeousness; and the granny bonnets and foxgloves are about to burst onto the scene as well. Yes indeedy, the days down here at the bottom of the world are as pretty as a picture. 

As each day floats into the other, I have been stitching Lucy's wee quilt. All the hexies are now stitched together. To even the edges along the top, bottom and sides, I will stitch triangles to them, and then I will add a border of white and pink polka dot fabric. As with my Sweet Sunday quilt, I like the thought of  small hexies skipping around the border.....but I will see.

I have unearthed a fabric from one of my armoires for the backing of Lucy's quilt. I have been saving this sweet fabric for an occasion such as this. Several years ago I happened upon a curtain in a thrift shop with sweet Sarah Kay girls featured all over. When I was a young teenager, Vivian Kubbos', Sarah Kay; and Denise Holly Ulinskas', Holly Hobbie designs were seen everywhere. The charming artwork of little girls dressed in floral prints and calico, with sweet bonnets atop their heads, were imprinted on many, many things. I remember I would save up my pocket money and collect greeting cards, plates, dishes, hurricane lamps, calendars et cetera et cetera. Why, I sent many a Sarah Kay greeting card to my friends for their birthday or a special hello note. I will never tire of these sweet  illustrations  and the sense of bygone days each sweet design captured. Days of a long ago time, evoking a feeling of a simpler and gentler way of life; of quiet pleasures, of a homespun spirit. The good old days, a time which I have been reminiscing and reflecting upon of late. Funnily enough my friend, whose granddaughter this quilt is for, and I, would exchange Holly Hobbie gifts with each other, so I consider it fitting that I use this sweet vintage fabric for Lucy's quilt. I remember a favourite Holly Hobbie quote of both my friend and I was "The road to a friend's house is never long" or even "When a good friend shares a day with you rainy days seem brighter, too". So, so many other delightful quotes  which added a touch of whimsy to another's day. Thankfully, I have a length of this fabric left over, so one day I may well fashion a quilt for me....just for old time's sake, just to indulge in the memories of the good old days.

I wonder, do you lovelies of a certain age remember those days of old where young girls found joy in the charming artwork of Sarah Kay and Holly Hobbie?? I know I do and those sweet reminisces make my heart smile♥ As I have stitched these sweet fabrics and gazed upon the Sarah Kay fabric this week, I have felt myself in a little cocoon of sugar and spice and all things nice......despite the horrendous drama of the world stage. We have to grab with both hands the precious little things in the everyday, don't we. Sometimes difficult given the times we live in, but for me I want to be mindful to delight in those fleeting moments which bless my day. I want to be joyful for the miracle of the flowers I pick, the warm sun kissing my cheek, a hug from a friend, a smile from a passer-by, the wide, blue sky of God's open-air cathedral; oh, so, so many things can brighten my day, regardless of what is happening in this world. In these times I want to gather a bouquet of happiness in the everyday little things, as each day passes by. I want to be thankful to God for each day He gifts me and all those little and unexpected, precious blessings❣

 

Thank you for popping by my little spring place and catching glimpses of Lucy's sweet quilt. I hope in some small way I have sprinkled a little charm to your day. Throughout today, here in my blossoming, little spring world, I am going to join that little band of lovelies all around the world, pick up my needle and thread, and delight in a little Slow Sunday Stitching, on sweet Lucy's quilt. Take care lovely lovelies. May God bless and sprinkle you with smiles  as you gather a bouquet of  sweet contentment throughout your day❣

Until the next time..............

A wee quilt for a wee girl ❣

Hello lovely lovelies❣ A beautiful welcome to you on this Sunday morning. Spring is unfurling it's loveliness down here. The fragrances and visual gorgeousness are intoxicating my little spring place. As I sit here I am drinking in the perfumed, visual delight. Drinking in the miracle of this new morning that God has gifted me. Drinking in the miracle of each exquisite flower that pops up in the garden; the daffodils, waratahs, rhododendrons, camellias, tulips......the diosma; these are the flowers that are making my heart joyful at the moment.

When last you visited I spoke of Maisie being well and healing nicely. Now, before you say "Oh no...what's happened?" let me say that Maisie is hunky dory but after my last post she proved once again that she is up there with Houdini, that great escapologist of old. Yep,  she decided once again that the grass is sooooooo much greener in dem dar paddocks  on the other side of the impossibly high fence. Yet again she donned her invisible wings and escaped! But all's good. After several days of me and my good husband searching high and low for her, to no avail, she turned up at our door, late in the  night, looking a tad woeful.  She was putrid,  exhausted and starving, and, by all appearances, it's safe to say there are exactly the same number of ducks swimming in the pond that were there before 'sweet' Maisie's adventure. No, my spaniel, which those in the know say is a hunting breed, didn't hunt any animals. I have a sneaky suspicion she might just well fail the doggy hunting school.......which is a good thing. But, after another couple of days filled with much needed rest and snoozing, a belly gurgling with doggy food, she is back to her 'normal' sweet self.

Let us hope that the memory of wandering kilometre after kilometre for two days, padding along dusty roads and paddock after paddock,  sleeping in freezing, wet grass and starving for two days, that she has decided that the outside world is not what it is cracked up to be; that the grass is not at  all greener on the other side of that very tempting fence. That life is so much better here, where she can sniff out the critters in 'her' beautiful garden, snoozing whenever she likes on her oh-so-soft bed and have a deliciously, doggy meal sprinkled with treats, every day. Let us hope that the only walks she goes on is with the safety of her very accommodating mistress. Fingers crossed! Let us hope she remembers she is getting on in years and much too old for such escapades! Let us hope that the memory of the sorest of paws which took days to walk on will be enough to prevent her from absconding again. We think some horses spooked her because this behaviour is unusual, even for her. I must say that this community in which we live were wonderful in letting us know when they sighted her. Social media and people sharing posts far and wide is a most excellent thing when it comes to tracking lost pets.

Besides playing detectives and putting my sleuthing abilities to use, I have been skipping along the merry hexie EPP path to once again play with triangles and diamonds, and other shapes to fashion a whimsical quilt for my lifelong friend's, two year old granddaughter, Lucy. A simple quilt filled with oodles and oodles of 1930 prints and a sprinkling of whimsical prints for good measure. I am reusing my papers from my Sweet Sunday quilt and fabrics from my stash.

This is a sweet quilt where little boys and girls play in meadows, frolicking with sweet kitties and puppy dogs, bunnies hoppity hopping through flowers, lady bugs, chickens, butterflies, school houses......so, so much whimsy to smile and bring much delight to a little girl's day.

I have enjoyed having a little break from my flower garden quilt these last two weeks. Oh, I will pick it up again very soon, but with Lucy's birthday on the horizon an opportunity to EPP a child's hexie quilt seemed to be a most excellent idea. As it is Sunday I am going to enjoy stitching some more sweet hexies. I am going to find a comfy spot and with lovely ladies all over the globe, join in with Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching and hand stitch a little, joining this little pile of hexies to the quilt; quietening the worries and woes of this deafening and troubled world, if only for a little while. Wherever you are I pray that you may smile at sprinkles of beauty gifted to you on this brand-new day❣

Until the next time.................